Eeli Tolvanen spent most of the summer in an unexpected holding pattern, and it ended with a one-year bet on himself in New York.
The 27-year-old forward finally agreed to terms with the Rangers last week on a one-year, $1.5 million contract after a market that never really took off. Tolvanen had been coming off a two-year, $6.95 million deal, but his value dipped after he scored just 12 goals last season. Seattle also showed no interest in bringing him back after his shooting percentage fell to 8.5 percent.
That left the Rangers to move in and land the former 30th overall pick from the 2017 NHL Draft on a prove-it contract.
Kraken beat reporter Rob Simpson said the wait surprised him, especially given how long New York stayed involved.
“His agent basically said there were a couple teams really interested but they were at the [salary cap ceiling]. So, he had a couple cap teams looking at him, and then you had the Rangers who were in the mix kind of the whole time,” Simpson told Forever Blueshirts.
“Yeah, I was surprised it took that long. But I’m surprised they’re not giving him another look in Seattle.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for him [with the Rangers].”
That opportunity looks different than what Tolvanen had in Seattle. Even though the Kraken finished two points ahead of the Rangers in the overall NHL standings last season, New York is viewed around the league as having a more talented roster. Tolvanen will be playing alongside more skilled teammates than he had with Seattle, where only two players reached 50 points last season and none topped 55.
Simpson thinks the change of scenery matters, and not just because of the roster around him.
“I think it’s a situation where it’s going to be another change of scenery for him and he’s probably going to produce,” Simpson explained. “The other thing is three coaches in three years.
He comes to Seattle and every year it’s a new guy, and the last guy [Lane Lambert] is like Mr. Defense, so I don’t even know if [Tolvanen} knew if he ever was coming or going.”
He’ll have a new coach again in New York, but Simpson believes Tolvanen’s mix of skill, physical play, and defensive value should fit Mike Sullivan’s setup.
Former NHL goalie and current analyst Carter Hutton made a similar point recently on Daily Faceoff Live, saying, “I think he’s going to play better minutes in New York because of the way they’re structured,”
The best fit for Tolvanen on the Rangers may be the third line, where he could line up with center Noah Laba and winger Will Cuylle. That group would bring plenty of pace and muscle, while also carrying enough offense to matter. Cuylle has scored 20 goals in back-to-back seasons, and Tolvanen has shown his own scoring touch with 18 goals in 2022-23, 16 the next season, and a career-high 23 last year.
“He’s got a phenomenal shot. He can snipe,” Simpson said about Tolvanen.
Tolvanen arrived in the league with a lot of fanfare as a 2017 first-round pick and was once projected as a top-six scorer. That hasn’t fully happened, but he has settled into being a useful NHL regular, especially in a middle-six or third-line role.
His path hasn’t been smooth. He struggled to establish himself in Nashville, twice scoring 11 goals before the Predators placed him on waivers in December of 2022. Seattle claimed him, and he responded with 16 goals, 27 points, and a career-best plus-10 in 48 games during the 2022-23 season.
His value also comes from areas that don’t always show up first on a scoresheet. At 5-foot-10, Tolvanen still plays with plenty of bite. He led the Kraken with 237 hits two seasons ago and finished one behind team leader Jacob Melanson last season.
Kenny Albert also noted on X last week that Tolvanen is the only NHL player with 100 points, 600 hits, and 200 blocked shots over the past three seasons.
“This is a guy who, when he gets hot, finds a way to score. He has some history on the penalty kill.
It’s a nice add. It’s a small piece for the New York Rangers, but they got him on a one-year deal,” Tyler Yaremchuk said on Daily Faceoff Live.
“If the Rangers are good, it’ll probably be in part because Tolvanen helps with depth scoring and gives them a solid middle-six winger.”
As for the pressure that comes with New York and the possibility of a bigger payday next summer, Simpson doesn’t see Tolvanen getting rattled.
“I don’t know that he’s too worried about pressure,” he said. “I don’t think the New York thing is going to bug him once he gets used to the lifestyle because he grew up in a lot of pressure, and he came over with a lot of pressure because he had big expectations.
“He’s a great kid.”
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